The Young and the RA

So we all have experienced the excruciating pain that comes from waking up with a flare-up. I’ve had flare-ups so bad that I’ve been brought to tears, had to go to the hospital and haven’t been able to sleep. Flare-ups are probably the worst part of having RA (at least in my opinion). So what options do we have when flare-ups happen? Well there are several things you can do.

1. Steroid shots: depending on where the joint pain is, a doctor may be able to use cortisone shots to reduce the pain: “Corticosteroid injections of steroids (i.e steroid shots, cortisone (cortizone) injections, kenalog injections) can be given systemically to help knock down arthritis flares. Intramuscular injections are shot locally into inflammed joints or tendons to deliver medication directly to problem areas such as the shoulder, elbow, hip, knee, hand, back, or wrist” (About.com). I’ve gotten cortisone shots before in my wrist when I had really painful flare-ups. It took a little bit for the steroid to kick in, but once it did, it felt amazing. I recommend talking to your doctor about it if you have a painful flare-up. There are some side effects that are possible when you get a cortisone shot. I never experienced them, but you should be aware: “The most common side-effect is a ‘steroid flare.’ This is a condition where the injected cortisone crystalizes and can cause a brief period of pain worse than before the shot. This usually lasts a day or so and is best treated by icing the injected area. Another common side-effect is discoloration of the skin where the injection is given. This is usually a concern in people with darker skin, and is not harmful, but patients should be aware of this. Atrophy of the skin and thinning of the skin may also occur at the site of injection”(arthritis-treatment-and-relief.com). Arthritis Treatment and Relief Web site has some good information about cortisone shots to look over before getting one.
2. Prednisone: I always keep a bottle of prednisone around to use when I have a flare-up. Prednisone isn’t good for long-term use (see my post “Jagged Little Pill” for more information on prednisone), but can be helpful to treat the occasional flare up. I just take one 5 mg pill in the morning of days I have a flare-up and have found it pretty effective.
3. Cold Compress: Using a cold compress is also an effective way to dull the pain when you have a flare-up: “Apply cold for occasional flare-ups. Cold may dull the sensation of pain. Cold also has a numbing effect and decreases muscle spasms. Don’t use cold treatments if you have poor circulation or numbness. Techniques may include using cold packs, soaking the affected joints in cold water and ice massage”(CNN).

Overall, as your rheumatologist works to get you on the right medications, you will experience fewer flare-ups and less pain when you have them. That is why it is important to see a rheumatologist and get started on the right medications. 

Until next time,

 S.P.

Ok, so I am finally going to get to one of the topics so many people always ask me about: exercise. Having joint pain does cut into most people’s exercise programs, so you can just imagine how difficult it is to exercise when you have RA. Lifting weights? Making a fist is just too difficult. Yoga? Those positions can put a lot of strain on the wrists and knees. Running? Hahahaha. Wait, you’re serious?       

So what exactly is left for those of us who can barely get out of bed in the morning? Swimming. That is right. Swimming. Swimming is an amazing full-body workout in a weightless environment. That means no pressure pushing down on your knees, wrists or ankles. An RA patient couldn’t ask for anything more!    

It can be hard to motivate yourself to be physically active when half the time your body is screaming at you to stay on the couch and never leave, but it is so important to keep yourself in good shape when you have RA. Having your muscles, tendons and ligaments stretched and in good shape provides support for your joints and help relieve the pressure and tension put on them from the swelling and erosion caused by RA.      

According to a Canadian RA website,

“Exercise helps lessen symptoms of RA and can make you feel better overall. Appropriate and moderate stretching and strengthening will help relieve the pain and keep the muscles and tendons around the affected joint flexible and strong. Low impact exercises like swimming, walking, water aerobics and stationary bicycling can all reduce pain while maintaining strength, flexibility and cardiovascular function”(The Arthritis Society).  

So for those of those without access to a pool, try walking (not running!) or stationary biking. But do get out there.     

Not only does exercising help support your joints by strengthening the tissue around them but it all helps you maintain a healthy weight. This is especially important because the more you weigh, the more pressure you are putting on your joints:

“Excess weight puts added stress on joints in your back, hips, knees and feet — the places where arthritis pain is commonly felt. Excess weight can also make joint surgery more difficult and risky” (CNN).

(On a side note, the CNN article had a lot of good information and tips about RA, so check it out.) Keeping yourself active by exercising helps keep the excess weight, and thus the excess pressure, off your joints. So what are you waiting for? Go renew that gym membership.       

For those of you ready to hit the gym and get in shape, check out this RA health assessment to help you get started on the right track.     

If you need some more motivation to get off the couch, check out RA blogs such as Sue Wood’s. Remember, you aren’t the only one with RA trying to get in shape. You have lots of people out there with RA that are willing to help give you the motivation you need! Blogs area great place to pick up exercise ideas as well.   

Until next time,

S.P.

Have you ever felt like an ambassador for RA? Everywhere I go, I feel as if I must educate people about RA and what an autoimmune disease is. I was talking to another woman with RA recently, and she told me about how people would often ask her why she wore splints. And what do you think they’d said when she told them she had rheumatoid arthritis? “Oh, I have problems with my knees, too. I totally understand.” Ummmm…You don’t have RA. You may have arthritis, but totally not the same. Right?  

How many of you have gone through this same dialogue with people you’ve told you have rheumatoid arthritis? My mom has actually recommended saying I have RA rather than rheumatoid arthritis so people don’t confuse it with regular arthritis. But I still feel that so many people don’t really understand RA. They don’t understand the symptoms, the side effects of the medications or how RA works.        

But do we even understand the disease?

“RA is not a condition of wear and tear that occurs with aging or injury. It is a disease known as an “autoimmune” disease in which your own immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissue, causing inflammation that damages your joints. Normally, the immune system fights against infections and keeps a person’s body healthy. However, in the case of RA, the immune system attacks cells in the joints, causing pain and swelling. Over time, people with RA often find that their joints are stiff and do not move properly, causing them considerable pain and discomfort” (RA.com).

I guess most of us know that, right? (If you don’t, talk to your rheumatologist. You need to understand the disease if you want to treat it.)      

But why us? Why do we have this disease? There is still so much not known about why some people develop RA and others don’t.

“Scientists and doctors do not know why people develop rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, researchers are learning more every day. The latest scientific findings suggest that RA may be caused by a combination of genetic, environmental, or hormonal factors” (RA.com).

Soooo…pretty much anything can cause RA is what they are saying, right? At least that is how I read it. So frustrating.

I don’t know about you, but as someone who plans to have kids one day, I would like to know if I could pass this on to my kids. I mean, is there a way to prevent RA? I wish there was more information on the subject. Research suggests a viral or bacterial infection may be a trigger for the disease but that it is in combination with other factors such as genetics:

“Many scientists think that something must occur to trigger the disease process in people whose genetic makeup makes them susceptible to rheumatoid arthritis. A viral or bacterial infection appears likely, but the exact agent is not yet known. This does not mean that rheumatoid arthritis is contagious: a person cannot catch it from someone else” (about.com).

At least we know we can’t spread it by coughing on someone, right?       

I hate how little is known about the cause of RA. As someone who is constantly explaining what RA is to people, I don’t like having this huge missing chunk of information. I know a lot of research is being done about RA and there have been ground breaking drugs such a biologics found to treat RA. But there is still no answers for many questions I have. I believe that we won’t be able to find a cure until we know what causes RA (NOTE: There are currently treatments for RA, but no cure. Just like with cancer and many other autoimmune diseases).     

If any of you readers have stories about people’s reactions when you told them you have Rheumatoid Arthritis, please share! I’d love to hear about how you have educated others on the disease!

Until next time,

S.P.